Finnish police have launched a criminal investigation into suspected environmental damage at a Google data center construction site in Muhos. Authorities allege that the local subsidiary Tuike Finland cleared 330 hectares of forest and stripped topsoil before mandatory environmental impact assessments were completed.
Police Investigate Forest Clearance in Muhos
Finnish police announced on Thursday, October 29, 2026, that they have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected environmental damage at a planned Google data center site in northern Finland. The inquiry focuses on activities managed by Tuike Finland, a local subsidiary of the tech giant reported Reuters.
Investigators identified shortcomings in drainage and water management at the site, which could potentially violate the country’s water act. Detective Superintendent Kari Pakanen noted that a guilty finding could lead to a corporate fine, though he declined to specify whether individual managers might also become targets according to the source. The preliminary investigation is expected to extend into 2027, with authorities aiming to provide an update in December according to Yle.
Google Cleared Hundreds of Hectares Before Assessments
Authorities allege that Tuike Finland cleared and drained approximately 330 hectares in Muhos and nearly 200 hectares near Otanmäki before completing required environmental impact assessments detailed the outlet. Campaigners estimate the clearcutting involved roughly 250,000 trees at Muhos and 150,000 at Otanmäki according to estimates cited by The Guardian.
The police inquiry follows intervention earlier in October by the Finnish Supervisory Agency, known as LVV, which oversees environmental permits and assessments noted Reuters. On October 6, the regulator ordered Google to suspend preparatory measures altering the environment at Muhos and a separate site in Otanmäki reported The Guardian.
They bought a huge area and just started cutting it down. That’s it, without further ado. It’s pure arrogance, and it’s amazing.
Hanna Halmeenpää, chair of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation
Antti Järvinen, Google’s country manager in Finland, apologized for the destruction noted The Guardian. He argued that the company acted according to the best understanding we had of the legislation at the time
stated Järvinen.
Google Invests €13 Billion in Finnish AI Infrastructure
The disputed clearings are part of Alphabet subsidiary Google’s planned €13 billion, or approximately $15.1 billion, investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure in Finland reported Reuters. The U.S. company has described the initiative as its largest investment in Europe noted The Guardian.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated in September that attracting foreign investment remains a top priority for the government according to Fortune. A petition demanding stricter regulation of data centers has gathered more than 96,400 signatures, nearly double the threshold required to force a formal debate in the Finnish Parliament reported Common Dreams.
Jussi Kangasharju, head of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki, argued that the facilities serve international users and offer minimal economic return to local populations noted The Guardian.
Regulator Sets Deadlines for Suspended Sites
Google confirmed on October 14 that it had complied with regulatory demands by suspending preparatory work at both the Muhos and Kajaani-Otanmäki locations reported Yle. The Supervisory Agency mandated that Tuike Finland submit a detailed water management plan by November 5, encompassing structural designs, timelines, and independent monitoring to address heavy rainfall, snowmelt, and local acidic black shale soils explained Yle.
The regulator stated it may pursue formal enforcement measures, including conditional fines, if adequate corrective actions are not taken noted Yle. Google has proposed planting trees across 130 hectares in Muhos as part of its ongoing landscaping and biodiversity plans reported Yahoo, though local conservationists have dismissed the reforestation volume as insufficient to offset the scale of the logging reported Pragmatika.
It is not yet known whether the Finnish Supervisory Agency will accept the company’s proposed reforestation plan or if Tuike Finland will face additional penalties if the water management plan is deemed inadequate.
